I believe that including a diversity of opinions in the decision making process leads to better outcomes for governments and their citizens. And, I think that many of my colleagues share this belief. The challenge arises when we try to define “diversity” and set performance measures to determine if we have been successful in reaching and engaging our diverse residents.

When I talk with people about diversity, I hear a lot of questions.

Do we limit ourselves to the standards of age, gender and ethnicity?

Do we expand our understanding to include sexual orientation, income levels, and marital status? Is it important to have a mixture of parents and non-parents?

Please Note…

This site welcomes a variety of viewpoints and perspectives on community engagement. Ideas shared here should not be considered as being endorsed by the UNC School of Government. The School is nonpartisan and policy-neutral.